Posts Tagged ‘Khmer New Year’

1) Khmer Rouge Trial is now in full swing– this is HUGE news in Cambodia, a place where justice is far from achieved, or even hoped for. One of my flatmates is a lawyer who is interning at the court– we are hoping to get tickets to view it. Some of the most infamous leaders from the Khmer Rouge are on trial now, and it is VERY controversial….. so much to say…. check out these websites and google news the trial. It has been over 3o years now since the end of one of the worst modern genocides in history. Cambodia is, in manys, still in survival mode as a result of this devestating period. It’s an incredibly interesting, strange dynamic.

2) I was just in Phnom Penh’s 2nd ever production of The Vagina Monologues. It was a blast… so many incredible women participated, and hopefully in years to come, more Cambodian women will be a part of it too. This year, the nationally famous MESSENGER BAND – an all-woman garment workers protest band opened for our show– it was an INCREDIBLE privilege to have them endorse us. They continue to advocate for marginalized, hard working Cambodian women every day, traveling and performing around the country, in rural provinces and even once at a UN conference in Hong Kong. PLEASE take a look at this website to learn more.http://messengerband.org/?mid=2&lang=

***If you want a CD of their songs, please let me know and I will personally buy it for you and bring it back with me from the states. Let me know soon!! I leave mid-May….

I want to be Sharon when I grow up 🙂 She was our most dynamic, seasoned cast-mate

3) I swam across the Mekong river with 150 of my closest friends. I haven’t yet contradicted any parasites. It was absolutely a blast.

pre-parasites 🙂

860 meters and no tom sawyer in sight!

4) I am now have acquired an acute, nuanced pallate for pad thai after eating it every day for 13 days straight in the place where it all began when I was in Thailand with one of my best friends, a certain Mr. Tom. It was beautiful, rejeuvenating and a much needed refresher before this last stretch in Cambodia.

5) Sour Sdei Chhnam Thmei! HAPPY KHMER NEW YEAR!!! If you’ve gotten slack on those resolutions from waaay back in January, shake off the guilt and just tell yourself it was a test run before the REAL new year 🙂

6) I’m about to leave for a 400 km epic bike ride across the country!!!!

7) I leave Cambodia May 13, am in Japan til May 24, and appear in Kansas City, Misouri USA May 25, and will eventually show up in Washington DC around June 20 for my fellowship which begins July 1st